Court Vision: Prelude to Knicks-Nets

• The writers of The Brooklyn Game have compiled an exhaustive history of the Knicks-Nets rivalry that should make for fantastic reading in anticipation of Monday night's intracity matchup. Don't think of it as amuse-bouche; this is your lean, hardy pregame meal, loaded with all of the nutritious bits you need to fully appreciate the context of these two teams' collision course.

The good news is this: the Heat's defense becomes 3.7 points per 100 possessions stingier when Anthony has played this season. The bad news? The offense is 14.2 points worse every 100 possessions. Much of that is due to the reserves that he plays with, but Anthony has joined a long list of Heat centers of the Big Three era that went from starter to benchwarmer seemingly overnight. Following in the footsteps of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Erick Dampier, Anthony has been nailed to the bench ever since his demotion in the playoffs and has essentially been reduced to an emergency defensive specialist.

To illustrate Miami's radical shift in philosophy this offseason, consider this: the Heat's most-used lineup by far last season featured Anthony as a starter, and it has played exactly once together so far this season. That only lasted three minutes. If Spoelstra chooses Anthony, he would effectively reset to a pre-championship edition of the Heat. Such a move might not sit well with Spoelstra. But neither does the 23rd ranking on defense.

Very few centers can corral a pick-and-roll, win a pure strength battle for position against a 290-plus pound man, and, without picking up a foul, convince a guard that finishing at the rim isn’t such a bright idea.

More than a few times this season Asik did all three on the same possession. But when taking stock of Asik’s value, a question must be asked: How do you grade a player who looks so dominant on one side of the ball, and so inept on the other?

Also: You owe it to yourself to click-through on Pina's piece for a glance at Asik's shot chart alone, not to mention the altogether sound examination of Asik's game.

Phoenix continues to let teams shoot outlandishly well from downtown -- 43 percent through 14 games with no other team in the NBA allowing even 40 percent. There's a point at which you cross over from poor shot defense to, like, giving shooters tips on their form and wishing them the best instead of closing out.

Falling Down: Josh Smith, Andrea Bargani, Lamar Odom, Washington Wizards. Every time I’ve watched the aforementioned, I’ve ended up shaking my head in disappointment. Mid-range jumpers are to Smith what heroin was to William S. Burroughs—irresistible, enchanting, holding so much possibility. Bargnani and Odom are exceeding optimal weight limits and it’s preventing them from fulfilling roles their teams need. And the Wizards … oh, the poor, poor Wizards are the league’s only winless team at 0-11. I’m a John Wall fan, but in cleaning house of the Arenas-era characters, the Wiz have built a strange, slow-to-form supporting cast around their franchise player. If these downward trends continue, I’m going to start new series titled Essays in Exploration: Identifying the Early Signs of Decay.

"David is one of my favorite guys that I've had a chance to coach because we're probably the most alike," said Monty Williams, who coached him in New Orleans. "We're kind of grumpy. We just want to do our job and go home; just leave-me-alone personalities. We got along really well just because he knew I was serious about my job and he was serious about his job. He's tough. When you play against him you know you're going to play against a guy whose going to compete for every second he's out there. He stepped up in leadership for this team. He's got such a strong voice. He's one of the guys I really missed."